PLATTSBURGH, N.Y.- Sophie Leclerc scored a pair of unassisted goals in the last 1 minute and 37 seconds of the game to lift No. 10-ranked Norwich to a 3-2 victory Saturday over No. 3 Plattsburgh State in the NCAA Division III Women's Ice Hockey Championship Quarterfinals before a crowd of 601 at the Stafford Ice Arena. BOXSCORE
The Cadets (19-5-5) advance to their first Frozen Four in the program's brief three-year history, which will be hosted next weekend on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College. The Cardinals (23-3-2) exit in the National Quarterfinals for the second straight season.
Leclerc pounced on a Plattsburgh turnover deep in her offensive zone and wristed a shot over Mandy Mackrell's blocker from the left face-off circle hash marks to tie the game 2-2. Then 55 seconds later she collected a loose puck along the boards and lifted a wrist shot from the other circle for the game winner.
Teal Gove gave Plattsburgh a 2-1 advantage in the third period on an assist by Jordan Caldwell. Caldwell kicked the puck loose out of a scrum behind the Norwich net and Gove snuck the puck past Cindy Fortin for her 10th goal of the season.
The Cardinals struck first midway through the first period on an unassisted goal by Shannon Flattery, but Norwich tied it 1-1 3:21 later on Brittane Michaud's ninth goal on assists by Jacqueline Perez and Leclerc.
Fortin finished with 33 saves for the Cadets while Mackrell had 28 for the Cardinals.
Plattsburgh pulled Mackrell for the final 40 seconds in favor of an extra attacker, but couldn't get the equalizing goal to force overtime.
